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The dramatic life of an AV technician

Penny Craige in costume as Mary the maid

At first glance this looks like a scene from Doctor Who, with a Victorian maid being attacked by an evil alien robot. Don't worry, there's no need for sonic screwdrivers, this is just a photo that Mark Saunders from our AV department sent me of some of the work they're doing for the refurfbishment of Sudley House.

To be honest, I had no idea that the AV guys led such a glamorous life, hobnobbing with actors and film crews, as I thought they just dealt with the technical side of things. However, they were involved in every aspect of this project, from getting the scripts approved, to finding the right actors and getting them kitted out in the right period costumes, and of course the filming itself in local studios Toxteth TV. Actually, these costumes are on hire from the BBC, so maybe they have been in Doctor Who after all!

The filming is for a series of video clips that will be shown in Sudley House when it reopens on 26 May. The actors are playing two of the former inhabitants of the house, George Holt and his daughter Emma, as well as Mary, the fictional maid. Together they will introduce visitors to the house and give a glimpse of what life was really like there when it was still a family home.